Grilled Lemon & Basil Vinaigrette

April 1, 2015

Grilled Lemon & Basil Vinaigrette is a delicious and light salad dressing or dip. Fresh lemons are grilled until they get caramelized and sweet then the juice is blended with fresh basil and parsley for a lovely warm weather recipe.

We are well into spring and it’s time for grilling and bright fresh dishes. This grilled lemon and basil vinaigrette is a delicious dressing for any salad or a sauce for chicken or fish.

Why grill lemon?

Grilling lemons is a great way to transform the flavor of a lemon. Not only does it help release the lemon juices, but it makes the juice sweeter and slightly smokey.

In keeping with the Spring-theme, I recently grilled vegetables to make a grilled vegetable pasta salad (recipe coming soon) and the perfect way to dress this salad was with the grilled lemon and basil vinaigrette. This dish is perfect of for a light dinner or a tasty lunch on-the-go.

If you’ve tried this Grilled Lemon & Basil Vinaigrette or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love to hear from my readers! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see daily recipe updates.

Yield: 8 -10

Grilled Lemon & Basil Vinaigrette

Fresh lemons are grilled until they get caramelized and sweet then the juice is blended with fresh basil and parsley for a lovely warm weather recipe.

Prep Time10 minutes

Cook Time8 minutes

Total Time18 minutes

Ingredients

4 large lemons, cut in half

Zest of 1 large lemon

3/4 cup light olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons

1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

1/4 teaspoon salt

Pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat indoor or outdoor grill.

Cut the lemons in half.

Brush the lemon halves with 2 tablespoons olive oil.

Lay the lemons onto the grill cut-side down for 8 minutes until browned.

Remove the lemons and allow to cool.

When the lemons are cool enough to handle, squeeze the lemons through a sieve into a bowl.

To a food processor or blender add the lemon juice, zest, basil, parsley and salt.

Blend then slowly drizzle the 3/4 cup olive oil into the blender while running.

Janette, how much do I LOVE this idea! It is spectacular. I know it is easy but gosh what a difference a little grilling will make. I already roast citrus to plonk onto salads but to whizz them up? Genius. I bow to you. *genuflecting*

Ooo… I eat salad all the time so I’m always looking for new dressings to ‘spice’ things up. Vinaigrettes are my absolute favorite (creamy dressings are just to heavy for me). I love everything about this vinaigrette – light, herbaceous, and zesty… perfect! Definitely making this for my next salad!